Is there anybody around here who doesn’t like a good poke cake recipe?

I can imagine bakers in test kitchens at Kraft, Betty Crocker and Taste of Home using their creativity to come up with different ways to “poke” box cake mix recipes. Wouldn’t that be fun, to spend the day experimenting with baking recipes, then have someone else clean up the mess? Hmmm. I know it doesn’t work that way.

Years ago I spent a day in the test kitchens at Kraft in a Chicago suburb, and found it fascinating. But, the work is repetitive: Expert cooks/dietitians/nutritionists spent time repeating the same recipe using different size and color pans, varying temperatures and ovens, each in her own kitchen area, of which there were at least a half-dozen. Then, they taste-tested the results. There was a lot of cake, so just about everybody in the building got a slice. And it’s a big building. (And, you do have to clean up your kitchen area.)

It’s a fond memory for me because the bakers (all women) had this great camaraderie, sharing advice and ideas, talking through problems and generally looking like they really enjoyed their work.

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I’ve never tried a carrot poke cake, but Kraft has a recipe. It’s a super-moist spice cake with shredded carrots and a tangy orange flavor that makes a surprise appearance under delicious cream cheese frosting.

And since my sweet tooth is out of control as I’m writing this, why not combine brownies and Rice Krispie treats into one dessert? Better Crocker did it, throwing in peanut butter chips, too, and came up with Brownie Peanut Chews.

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